EMBLA, the Nordic Food Awards, creates visibility for Nordic food and the innovative people behind it, both in the Nordic countries and internationally.
The purpose of EMBLA is to strengthen the knowledge of Nordic food.
EMBLA Food Awards, is held every two years, next time in Reykjavík on June 1st, 2019. The Nordic Farmer’s Council, NBC, is responsible for EMBLA Food Awards with the support from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Goes to the farmer, the fisherman, the hunter or the collector, who represent raw ingredients of high gastronomic quality, who make use of the Nordic natural and cultural terroir and who himself is producing, catching or collecting the raw material.
Goes to a person, a company or an organization, who has developed a new method which is built on food artisan tradition and has broad appeal and market potential.
Goes to a food artisan, who have developed a unique product which represent a high gastronomic quality and is rooted in Nordic raw ingredients and artisan traditions.
Goes to a person, a storyteller, a media or a concept, which communicate the joy and enhance the knowledge for Nordic food.
Goes to a person or an organization, who has done an extraordinary effort to encourage meals, quality and a Nordic food culture in public meals.
Goes to a society, an institution or a community, who has assembled producers of raw ingredients, restaurants and other local actors to lift a geographic destination through food-culture, cooperation and unity.
Goes to a person or an organization, who has developed an idea or a concept which notably has contributed to develop future generation knowledge and skills in relation to Nordic food and food culture.
Nominations for EMBLA, The Nordic Food Awards will be opened on March 1st on the website emblafoodaward.com. The nomination process will be closed at the end of day March 31st
Everybody can nominate to Embla awards. You can nominate yourself, your organization or the business you work for. And you can also nominate other people, organizations or companies.
It is free to nominate for Embla, and it is also free to participate in the competition on 1st of June 2019. The person that is nominated is expected to participate in the program in Reykjavík. Costs related to the journey and stay in Iceland are up to each country.
The Nordic Farmer’s Council, NBC, is responsible for EMBLA Food Awards with the support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The participants come from Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Åland Islands and The Faroe Islands.
The seven categories are following:
NORDIC FOOD PRODUCER 2019
Goes to the farmer, the fisherman, the hunter or the collector, who represent raw ingredients of high gastronomic quality, who make use of the Nordic natural and cultural terroir and who himself is producing, catching or collecting the raw material.
NORDIC FOOD ENTREPRENEUR 2019
Goes to a person, a company or an organization, who has developed a new method which is built on food artisan tradi-tion and has broad appeal and market potential.
NORDIC FOOD ARTISAN 2019
Goes to a food artisan, who have developed a unique product which represent a high gastronomic quality and is rooted in Nordic raw ingredients and artisan traditions.
NORDIC FOOD COMMUNICATOR 2019
Goes to a person, a storyteller, a media or a concept, which communicate the joy and enhance the knowledge for Nordic food.
NORDIC FOOD FOR MANY 2019
Goes to a person or an organization, who has done an extra¬ordinary effort to encourage meals, quality and a Nordic food culture in public meals.
NORDIC FOOD DESTINATION 2019
Goes to a society, an institution or a community, who has assembled producers of raw ingredients, restaurants and other local actors to lift a geographic destination through food-culture, cooperation and unity.
NORDIC FOOD FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH 2019
Goes to a person or an organization, who has developed an idea or a concept which notably has contributed to develop future generation knowledge and skills in relation to Nordic food and food culture.
National jury consists of 3 members from each country. The national jury will select one representative for each award category in each participating country. All the juries will come together in Reykjavík on May 31st to select the winners.
On June 1st in Harpa Hall in Reykjavík, Iceland. The ceremony will be connected to Nordic Chefs Association´s Congress that takes place at the same time and location.
It is expected that the nominee will participate in the ceremony on June 1st in Iceland. Linked to the Embla Food Award there will be planned tours and activities for guests on May 31st and during the day of 1st of June.
It is the nominee who pays the trip to Iceland, and the nominee is welcome to invite guests to the prize ceremony at Harpa.
Winners
Embla 2017 - Nordic Food Awards
NORDIC FOOD PRODUCER 2017
Faroe Islands, Dimunargardur
The family's livelihood is what the island can provide: sheep, cows, poultry, seabirds and produce. All of which is produced using traditional techniques in innovative ways and with respect for the environment. Their products are sold on the mainland,
where they have a reputation for unique quality and purity.
Creates positivity and joy around the public meal. Inspires both staff and students with nutrition, health, education and a wide knowledge, always focusing on the joy of eating. She stresses the fact that Sweden is unique with its free school meals
to all students, she puts the focus on Swedish flavors, local producers and the understanding of where the food comes from.
Leif Sørensens hand-made fermented fish crisps, or “Fish Chips”, are made from fermented fish held together by different Nordic grains, predominantly barley.
Fermented fish is a traditional and unique product of the Faroe Islands, and Leif Sørensen have expanded the utility of the product, winning the fish category of Open Icelandic Championship for Artisan Food Production with his crisps.
NORDIC FOOD FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH 2017
Norway, Geitmyra Matkultursenter
Started up in 2011. This is a noncommercial foundation. The vision for Geitmyra is to learn children how the food is grown, make food and learn how our food ends up in our plate. They collaborate with the schools in Oslo. But they also have after
school activities and classes in the week ends for families. It is Andreas Viestad that is the founder.
Alandian chef that is active both in Sweden and Finland. Has done cooking shows with local food as theme in all the Nordic countries, “Mat så in i Norden”. The unique about Michael is his commitment and ability to highlight the
value in the simple and local in food culture, and make these gathered things to something great. His cooking has never been about the exceptional or fine dining, but instead about Nordic foods and food culture that touches us all and he has done
so for a long time – long before the blooming of Nordic food as a trend. Michael has been co-author to a lot of Nordic cookbooks.
Finland, Thomas Snellman, Developer and distributor of the REKO retail
Inspired by a delivery model for short food supply chain in France, organic farmer Thomas Snellman, brought the REKO retail and distribution model for local food to Finland. REKO, launched in 2013, stands for fair consuming and offers customers
a unique way of ordering products directly from the producer, without the need for middlemen and administrative costs. The REKO networks operate via closed Facebook groups in which orders and deliveries are agreed on. The revolutionary REKO model
has spread widely due to Snellman’s enthusiastic and inspiring work: over 150 networks with over 200 000 consumers operate in Finland, over 30 networks in Sweden and there’s a growing interest in other Nordic countries and Europe.
The Faroese phrase “heimablídni” translates directly as “home hospitality”, and all across the islands you can enjoy authentic and intimate dining experiences in people’s homes. In addition to being served traditional
homemade Faroese food, these underground restaurants will treat you to interesting stories that relate to that particular part of the country or village.
